dubitanda (ever in doubt)

coming ⋮ gently

LONG DISTANCE

– Yes? Yes? Yes? Yes?
– Hey. Hey, can you hear me?
– Yes?
– Want to come over?
– Yes? Where? How do I get there?

– In 150 metres, turn right.
– Yes?
– In 120 metres, turn left. In 70 metres, make a u-turn.
– Yes?
– In 221 metres, turn right.

– Yes? Hang on… I’m lost.
– You’re on your way. Coming?
– Yes?
– In 180 metres, turn right. In 80 metres…
…turn right again. In 50 metres, go straight on.

– I’m at your door.
– Come up.
– It won’t open.
– Don’t force it. Push gently.

Dimitris Papaioannou

– Ναι; Ναι; Ναι; Ναι;
– Έλα. Έλα, μ’ ακούς;
– Ναι;
– Έρχεσαι άπο ’δω;
– Ναι; Που; Πως να ’ρθω;

– Στα 150 μέτρα, στρίψε δεξιά.
– Ναι;
– Στα 120 μέτρα, στρίψε αριστερά. Στα 70 μέτρα, κάνε αναστροφή.
– Ναι;
– Στα 221 μέτρα, στρίψε δεξιά.

– Ναι; Κάτσε… Χάθηκα.
– Έρχεσαι.
– Ναι;
– Στα 180 μέτρα, στρίψε δεξιά. Στα 80 μέτρα…
…στρίψε πάλι δεξιά. Στα 50 μέτρα συνέχισε ευθεία.

– Είμαι στην πόρτα σου.
– Ανέβα πάνω.
– Δεν ανοίγει.
– Δεν θέλει δύναμη. Σπρώξε μαλακά.

This disconnected dialogue reminds me of a journey once made to reach a door in Athens.

 

Compare with the fragment below, by the Persian poet Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks and Kadio Kolymva respectively):

 

I have lived on the lip of insanity,
wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door.
It opens. I’ve been knocking from the inside!

 

Για χρόνια χτυπούσα την πόρτα
κι είδα όταν άνοιξε
πως χτυπούσα από μέσα.

 

Translated for (and taken from) the 2007 subtitles made to accompany the digital versatile disc of the stage work Two by Dimitris Papaioannou, directed for the screen by Athina Rachel Tsangari.

 

The Rumi fragments appear in the DVD booklet.

 

The black-and-white image (now popping with a blue sky) was collaged by Dimitris to be the final (performance) image of this same booklet.

 
 

see also
human ⋮ connection
personal ⋮ pleasure

 
 

arkhæio
DIGITAL VERSATILE (TWO) DISC TWO TOME